Against the Gods - Volume 08 - Cloud's End Mirage

by Mars Gravity

  “Because this noble one is willing, that is all!” the Golden Crow Divine Spirit coldly replied.

  Yun Che, “…”

  “When this noble one read your memories back then, I was shocked by your physique and experience. I knew for certain that your talent was oddly strong. Along with your exceptional talent, you’d be the perfect successor. That was why this noble one bestowed upon you everything and hoped that the flame of the Golden Crow left in this world would burn brightly within you.

  “However, unexpectedly, you seemed have used up all your luck in the first half of your life. In just the span of two years, you encountered such calamity that even this noble one is unable to save you. On this plane, there is nothing that can save you either.

  “However, you are, after all, the person that this noble one has chosen. Even if it was the wrong choice, it still has to be followed through to the end.”

  This was the Golden Crow Divine Spirit’s explanation. Each word was uttered with deep arrogance and stubbornness..

  “…I still have one question and this question is of utmost importance to me,” Yun Che continued to ask. His eyes slightly narrowed and his gaze became dull, “If i forcefully open the fifth realm of the Evil God, 【Hades】, is there any possibility of me killing Xuanyuan Wentian!?”

  The Golden Crow Divine Spirit was stunned for a moment before she suddenly laughed heartily, “Hahahaha! Good question, this should be what you’re like!”

  Yun Che also laughed, “Looks like you can probably give me a clear enough answer. After all, you inherited some of the Golden Crow’s memories and when the Golden Crow was alive, it had a close relationship with the Evil God. You should have a rough gauge of the Evil God’s strength.”

  “No, this noble one actually does not know the Evil God’s strength much better than you,” the Golden Crow said in a low voice. “However, based on the strength you possessed when you forcefully activated 【Rumbling Heaven】 against the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign, if you were to open your 【Hades】, you might indeed be able to forcefully kill Xuanyuan Wentian!”

  Yun Che, “!!!”

  “However, it is only a possibility. However, if you were to forcefully open Hades, the consequences wouldn’t be possible death… but certain death! Even if it’s just for one or two moments!”

  “When you battled the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign initially, although you managed to forcefully open the Rumbling Heaven to forcefully exterminate him, I hope that you have not forgotten the miserable state that you ended up in. Back then, if your master had not forcefully closed the Evil God’s realm for you, you would have died on the spot then. Now, your strength far exceeds the time when you battled the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign, your physique has also changed greatly. However, you can at most maintain the powers of Rumbling Heavens for one moment. If you were to forcefully open the Hades, the moment your strength was released, your body would also be smashed into smithereens with no chance of survival.”

  “Alright!” Yun Che gradually nodded. Both his hands clenched tightly but his face did not reveal any disappointment, fear or unwillingness to resign. Instead, there was a slight smile that had a hint of ferocity, “Since you said it’s possible, then there’s definitely a possibility!”

  “Judging from what you said, are you prepared to bet your life?”

  “Heh, since I’m going to die, why shouldn’t I bet?!” Yun Che laughed lowly.

  “Hahahaha,” the Golden Crow Divine Spirit laughed heartily once again. “As a person that is about to die, you aren’t thinking about how miserable your life is but instead how to die even more miserably! As expected, this noble one did not choose the wrong person and also did not save the wrong person. Your blazing integrity and resolve is worthy enough of the Golden Crow’s blood and Golden Crow’s soul in your body!

  “This noble one is not going to stop you since you have already decided. You should hurry to return to the Profound Sky Continent then. You should know that the devilish blood within Xuanyuan Wentian’s body is awakening every day and his strength is also increasing by the day. The longer you delay this, the greater the certainty of your death! If you really can exterminate Xuanyuan Wentian, the entire Illusory Demon Realm will be saved because of you and your death would be worth it!”

  “I understand,” Yun Che muttered under his breath. “But, I still need some time… perhaps two or three days.”

  “Hmph, is all this for your final farewell?” The Golden Crow Divine Spirit said without care.

  “…Other than that, there’s one more thing.” Yun Che turned around, looked into the distance as his gaze gradually became hazy. Two hazy figures appeared in his heart and gradually became more and more clear. Also, gradually… they bonded together and became one figure…

  “I want to return to Azure Cloud Continent to see Ling’er… I want to know whether what I witnessed and experienced six years ago was a dream or not,” Yun Che’s voice softened as though he was recalling his dream.

  “Since you’re determined to die, what’s the point in meeting her?” The Golden Crow Divine Spirit coldly said. After reading Yun Che’s memories, she knew who “Ling’er” was and also knew what “dream” he referred to. However, as the spirit of a divine beast, it knew nothing of the love between humans.

  “I’m okay with a look from afar.” Yun Che faintly smiled, “If that wasn’t a dream and it was really Ling’er, even if I were to die, I can die feeling a little more satisfied.”

  “Then when are you preparing to go? The Azure Cloud Continent is millions of kilometers away rom the Illusory Demon Realm.”

  “Right now!” Yun Che said without hesitation.

  He did not prepare to say his farewells with the Little Demon Empress or his parents because this would undoubtedly increase their worries. Furthermore, he had absolutely no way of explaining everything.

  If the Azure Cloud Continent’s Ling’er was actually a dream, he would completely give up hope as well. If that were really Ling’er… he would fulfill his wish before returning to spend his remaining time with them.

  After that, he would use his life… to bring Xuanyuan Wentian with him to hell!!

  Chapter 873: Finally Returned to Azure Cloud

  The Azure Cloud Continent was about five million kilometers away from the Profound Sky Continent. The distance between the Illusory Demon Realm and the Azure Cloud Continent was about that far as well. Jasmine had once told him that with the remaining power left in the Primordial Profound Ark, it could at most make one round trip to the Azure Cloud Continent.

  However, given Yun Che’s current state, once was already enough.

  After leaving Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley, Yun Che did not return to Demon Imperial City but instead immediately activated the Primordial Profound Ark. Jasmine had already left behind the location of the Azure Cloud Continent in his memory.

  The consequences of going to the Azure Cloud Continent were something he could not predict. However, if he did not go, it would remain a massive regret in his life.

  The spatial transfer of millions of kilometers similarly only required one moment.

  Leaving the Primordial Profound Ark, Yun Che’s emotions were suddenly in a turmoil… Because, the ground that he stepped on, was the already familiar yet exceptionally distant Azure Cloud Continent.

  “Azure Cloud Continent…” He muttered under his breath. His master, his Ling’er, all that happened within this world. Countless memories and images flooded his mind like surging waves and rumbled violently. No one could understand his experiences of two lifetimes and similarly, no one could understand how he was feeling right now.

  A gentle mountain breeze blew, calming Yun Che’s heart. He finally looked at his surroundings. In front of his eyes was a mountain that meandered upwards. It’s highest peaks were above the clouds and turning around, five hundred kilometers of scenery could be seen… He was obviously standing on the side of a tall mountain.

  Yun Che quietl
y looked at his surroundings and quickly, a name flashed past his mind.

  This was…

  Grandwake Mountain!!

  His heart was greatly shocked… The position that Jasmine had imprinted in his soul was not just the general location of the Azure Cloud Continent but it accurately pinpointed the location of the Grandwake Mountain that stood nearby!!

  As for the Grandwake Clan Su Ling’er belonged to, it lay at the foot of this Grandwake Mountain!

  His heart fluttered and he was unable to calm down. Yun Che was not in the mood to admire the scenery of Grandwake Mountain. He immediately descended and before long, he arrived at the foot of the mountain.

  A huge jade green forest stretched at the foot of Granwake Mountain. Entering the forest, Yun Che slowed down his footsteps and walked ever more and more slowly. Six years ago, within the dreamlike world, this place was also a large forest. Then, Su Ling’er excitedly brought him to the forest while jumping and hopping… because, this was her favorite place.

  This place, was also a forest.

  If…

  If everything was real, the other end of the forest, would be the Grandwake Clan she resided in.

  Yun Che’s footsteps became lighter as though he was afraid that his movement might disrupt the gentle breeze here. He especially desired to meet Su Ling’er but was also afraid that everything from start to end had been just a dream…

  The forest was exceptionally quiet except for the sound of the wind blowing and the branches rustling. There was no other movement nor were there any figures of people or beasts. Rather than quiet, it would be more accurate to describe it as eerily lonely.

  Yun Che continued moving and after walking for some time, he suddenly stopped.

  In the midst of the dense forest, there was a small plot of empty land. In the middle of the empty land, there was a bamboo house that lay quietly there.

  The bamboo house was small and simple and even looked rather old. All the bamboo was now yellowish in color.

  Looking at the small bamboo house, Yun Che’s eyes blurred. He hurried forward and opened the unlatched bamboo door.

  Inside the bamboo house, there was a small bed and table made of bamboo. Yun Che stretched out his trembling hand and gently pressed onto the bamboo bed. The bed was simple yet sturdy. Following his palm, coming into contact with it, it made a soft “squeaking” noise… there was not one speck of dust on the bed either.

  Looking up, at the top of the bamboo house, there was a round hole. At night, the bright moonlight would shine through from above and illuminate the entire interior of the house.

  For six whole years, other than the bamboo turning yellow, nothing about the bamboo house had changed… It was as though it was a baby that had been carefully loved and cared for in one’s arms. For six whole years, there was no damage at all.

  “Ling’er… It’s Ling’er… It’s Ling’er… It’s Ling’er… It’s really Ling’er…”

  Yun Che’s mind crashed. His vision became completely blurred, his emotions a complete mess, his soul trembling furiously. Every ounce of blood within him boiled with intensity… Although Jasmine had repeatedly told him with complete confidence that the “illusion” from six years ago was definitely not an illusion, he still bore a sense of disbelief… He dared not believe that there was a truth in this world that was so perfect that it was like a dream. He dared not hoped that he could still hug the Ling’er that he had already lost for eternity.

  However, this forest and the small bamboo house that he built for Su Ling’er within the forest proved that whatever happened six years ago was not a dream but actually reality. It was a truth that he dared not even imagine in his dreams.

  “Ling’er… Ling’er… Ling’er!!!”

  The warm feeling that engulfed his entire body was not going to his head. Yun Che rushed out of the house, continuously calling Su Ling’er’s name and rushed like a madman in the direction of the Grandwake Clan in his memory.

  Countless green bamboos were knocked down by him but he could not be bothered about it and continuously sped up.

  Just when he was about to leap into the sky, a blowing wind from in front brought an abnormal pungent smell along.

  This was a smell Yun Che was exceptionally familiar with… this was obviously the smell of a rotting corpse!!

  As though a pail of cold water had just been poured onto him, Yun Che’s senses seemed to swiftly recover from his vigorous agitation to a clear mind. This was clearly very close to Grandwake Clan… why was there such a strong smell of a rotting corpse?

  Yun Che sped up as he moved forward, the smell in the air becoming stronger and stronger. Gradually, the forest in front was no longer intact and there was a large amount of damage. The ground and the body of the bamboo were all filled with stains of blood that had already dried up long ago.

  “…” Yun Che eyebrows sunk and a corpse also appeared in his sight then.

  Within a forest like this, the speed at which a corpse decayed would not be too quick. Judging from the condition of the rotting corpse in front, it had already been dead for half a month. However, what caused Yun Che’s heart to grip tightly was the bloodstained clothes that the corpse wore…

  That was obviously the clothing of someone from the Grandwake Clan!

  Furthermore, there was not just that corpse. As Yun Che continued forward, the front part of the forest had been completely destroyed. Dried up stains of blood covered the entire floor and broken bamboos. The further forward he proceeded, the more corpses there were. In the end, all the corpses were stacked up together and the scene was startling. The pungent smell of rotting corpses completely covered the fresh air coming from the bamboo forest.

  Along the way, he saw close to a thousand corpses altogether. The time which they died was fairly close to one another and judging from their clothes, they all belonged to the Grandwake Clan!

  Yun Che’s expression became worse and worse, his previous agitation and mad joy was replaced by a bone piercing coldness… Let alone thousands of corpses, even if ten thousand or a hundred thousand laid in front of Yun Che, his expression would not change. However, this was near the Grandwake Clan and for half a month, no one bothered with the corpses of these members of Grandwake Clan!

  This undoubtedly proved that something terrible had happened to the Grandwake Clan!!

  Then, Ling’er…

  An icy cold aura spread from Yun Che’s spine to the top of his head. His fists clenched tightly, his scalp numb and he rushed forward towards the Grandwake Clan like lightning.

  Just what had happened to the Grandwake Clan?

  Ling’er… you must be fine… I pray for your safety!!!

  Yun Che activated the Extreme Mirage Lightning at full strength and very quickly, the Grandwake Clan from six years ago appeared before his eyes.

  Staring at the southern door of the Grandwake Clan from afar, although Yun Che was extremely worried, he did not immediately barge in. Instead, he stopped, hid his aura with the hidden flowing lightning before he proceeded silently towards the Grandwake Clan.

  Within the Grandwake Clan, several figures were moving about. It did not seem like they were in any peril nor was there any extremely cautious aura. Everything looked as though it was normal. Sneaking into the Grandwake Clan, Yun Che soon realized that there were several unusually strong auras among them.

  Thirty two Thrones, two level two Overlords, and even one level eight Overlord!!

  Yun Che’s gaze instantly became cold.

  The Grandwake Clan and Blackwood Stronghold reigned within the region of the Country of Supwake and the Grandwake Clan was slightly stronger than the Blackwood Stronghold. Here, the Sky Profound Realm was already a pinnacle existence. If a Throne were to appear, he was sufficient to reign over the entire Rivereast. Even the two hegemons of the Grandwake Clan and Blackwood Stronghold were not at the level of Thrones either.

  However, right now, there were thirty two Thrones and three Overlords who sudden
ly appeared with the Grandwake Clan!

  And their profound auras were obviously not those of the members of the Grandwake Clan.

  Yun Che gritted his teeth slightly, his heart was expanding with unease. He could only constantly pray for Su Ling’er’s safety in his heart and that nothing had happened to her… Otherwise, he would not be able to predict what kind of crazy things he would do!!!

  Inhaling deeply, Yun Che hurriedly sneaked into the Grandwake Clan and directly went to the positions of those Overlords. Then, as he passed by two disciples of Grandwake Clan, he heard their conversation.

  “…Back then, if the clan master wasn’t kind enough to adopt me, I would have lost my life already. I wouldn’t even need to compare with what I have now… However, I’ve betrayed the clan master… Sigh, sometimes, when I think about it, I’m really inhumane.”

  “Your choice was not wrong. You have already seen that those who were stubborn and maintained their loyalty are all dead. After all, they were the Seven Star Divine Hall. Only idiots would be foolish enough to go against them.”

  Seven Star Divine Hall!?

  This name caused Yun Che’s eyes to shrink slightly.

  “Sigh, why must clan master be so stubborn. Follow Young Clan Master’s plan and leech off Seven Star Divine Hall. This is something other sects could never even dream about…”

  “I heard that even though the clan master has already been trapped for so long, he still refuses to say anything. No one knows why he’s persevering this hard. He would give up a rare opportunity and seek death. No idea if we should call him righteous or stubborn…”

  The conversation between the two suddenly stopped and two ice cold palms suddenly appeared out of nowhere and gripped their throats firmly.

  The eyes of the two Grandwake Clan disciples expanded and their faces revealed shock. It was as though they had just seen a ghost.

  “The clan master you all are referring to, is he Su Hengshan?

  The two of them nodded in fear, unable to utter any sound.